How To Do a Color Conversion

For me, playing with color is one of the most enjoyable parts of stitching. I am constantly changing colors in designs, sometimes just swapping out one or two, and sometimes doing a complete color conversion. I absolutely love seeing other stitchers' color conversions. The creativity is so inspiring, and being comfortable with doing color conversions makes me more likely to purchase designs I might otherwise ignore because I don't like the colors. I often hear stitchers say they aren't very good with changing colors, and it's definitely the case that not everyone perceives color in the same way. If you're curious about your color acuity (how well you perceive color), there are free online quizzes where you can test yourself. Happily, there are also some very helpful tools and simple ways to make color conversions easier. Here's how I do it...

My most useful tool is my DMC Color Card. They're not cheap, but they're worth every penny if you stitch a lot and like to swap colors. I couldn't manage without mine. If you get one, make sure it's one with the actual thread samples. Here's what they look like unfolded... wonderful, huh?

These little color wheels are also pretty useful for creating harmonious color combinations. They're keyed with shapes and symbols to make it easy to choose complimentary colors of the same value. They're available in the art supply department of any craft store.

The first thing I do when I'm setting about to do a color conversion is pull out all my floss. This is easy for me because it's stored on bobbins--in numerical order--in only 4 floss boxes (the variegated colors live in their own box). If you store your floss in baggies or use some other system, this might be a little more difficult for you. I like to be able to quickly pull colors and put them back, which is why I like to have all the colors in front of me. This makes me drool (it also makes my eyes hurt):

The next thing I do is pull the colors called for by the designer and group them as they're used in the design. This is like making a map of how color is used in the design, and I follow the map when I change the colors. The photograph below is of the original colors. As an example of how my map works, you can see that there are 4 shades of purple, used from darkest to lightest. When I swap colors, I know I need 4 shades, from dark to light, of either a different purple or of a completely different color. This is where the color card is invaluable. I can quickly look at the color card and find the shades I want to use, already organized from dark to light. Trying to do this while just looking at a color key on a chart will drive you nuts. You need to see the colors and how they work together.

Original colors:

These are my changes:

When I have pulled the designer's colors, I then begin selecting my own and I lay them down, color for color, next to the originals. I had a photograph of this, but my camera ate it and I didn't realize it until I had put everything away. So we're missing the "in progress" shot, but you can see clearly what I did in the "original" and "new" shots. I'm not a huge fan of super bright "jewel tones" and so I simply softened the colors. Here's the new color palette:

The colors are still rich and vibrant, but they're considerably softer than the originals and will give a totally different look to the finished design.

Good luck with your color conversions and happy stitching!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, y'all! Hope you get some stitching time after all the festivities quiet down!

A little basket of joy

Sometimes... no... often, very simple things can add joy to everyday life. One of our winter traditions is a small basket filled with packets of cocoa, cider, and cappuccino that sits on our kitchen table. I got a new basket this year (50% off--$4.50!) and filled it with our favorites. Nothing fancy, just stuff from the grocery store. Could we skip the basket and just rummage around in the pantry or the tea cupboard and get what we want out of the boxes? Yep. Would it be as cozy, and homey, and Christmas-y as the pretty little basket that sits on the table? Nope. 

As you walk by the table, you want to pause, choose a packet, heat the kettle, and make yourself a cup of something hot. 

This would make a great gift. You could make it as fancy or as simple as you like. For a more elaborate gift, make a decoration for the basket out of felt or stitch something, finish it as a flat ornament and attach it to the basket. Fill it with homemade or special mixes. If you just need a quick, simple, inexpensive but thoughtful gift, buy a decorated basket and fill it like we do, with grocery store goodies like flavored cocoas, cider, tea, and cappuccino. There are always tons of cute baskets to be found around the holidays, and you can always get them on sale or with a coupon. 

Or just make one for yourself. Who couldn't use a little more coziness?

Jingle Sparkle Joy!

I love this little freebie. So many possibilities for colors and embellishments. I finally got the finishing done... just in time for Christmas. 

Here's a close-up of the edges. I glued on some white braided trim, then pinned some fuzzy, sparkly stuff over it. Because you can never have enough sparkles. Especially at Christmas.

The Stitchy Supervisor stopped by...

...to help...

...by lying down on the batting.

This was so helpful that I had to stop what I was doing. I highly recommend help from a kitty when you're trying to do some finishing. It's so... helpful.

Finishing a Flat Ornament

Do the interwebs really need another finishing tutorial? Probably not. But I'm going to post one anyway. There are tons of finishing tutorials out there and most of them will probably be better than this one... more detailed, better photographs, prettier results. So why am I posting another one? Well, two reasons. 1) A lot of stitchers seem to be "intimidated" (their word) by finishing their work, which bugs me. All finishing involves is the stuff we used to play with when we were little: paper, glue, scissors, sparkly stuff. If you can stitch, you can finish. If it doesn't have teeth and claws, let's not be "intimidated" by it. Let's just get out all our supplies and make a mess and finish stuff. 2) Given that so many stitchers are hesitant to finish their own work, I wonder if part of that has to do with the tutorials themselves. Could it be that stitchers think that if they don't have a lot of expensive tools and/or can't produce heirloom-quality results, they can't finish? I don't know. Here's what I do know: this tutorial will not be beautifully photographed, won't require special tools, and isn't aiming at a gorgeously crafted heirloom that will be lovingly passed down from generation to generation for 200 years. This tutorial's goal is: let's get this finished so we can enjoy it. That's it. If you visited my Christmas Open House, you know about our ornament tradition and how special it is to us. The ornaments I finish are priceless to us, but really, the point is to get them finished so they can hang on the tree and be enjoyed. Why take the time to stitch something and then let it live in a drawer because we doubt our finishing skills? Or because we can't afford to have it professionally finished? Besides, Christmas trees are magic and anything you hang on them becomes beautiful. So there.

You probably noticed that I finish everything as a flat ornament. I think those fat little pillow ornaments are so cute, but the reason I finish everything flat is simple: space. All of those ornaments you saw fit into a 12" x 7" x 7" plastic storage box lined with acid-free tissue paper. If you have limited space, flat ornaments are the way to go. You can store oodles of them in a large shoebox. And it makes tree decorating a breeze. Pop up the pre-lit tree. Pull out your shoebox (store the hooks in the box!). Hang your ornaments. Your tree is done in 20 minutes and looks fabulous. Okay, ready to make a mess? Let's get started.

My very first TIP for you: If you don't want to practice your finishing skills on an ornament you love, either use an old one you don't mind experimenting on, or stitch up a quick little freebie to use. You'll figure stuff out as you're doing it, and I'll bet that it will only take one or two practice ornaments before you feel comfortable working on a "real" one. 

Stuff you need:

*mat board and foam core (you can get these in large sheets at any craft store that has a framing department)
*ruler (a clear one works well)
*fabric scissors
*kitchen shears or other heavy scissors
*batting
*fabric for the back
*X-acto knife (craft knife... mat knife... whatever. Something super sharp to cut the foam core)
*double-sided tape
*glue (I use Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue... super sticky and bonds quickly)
*pins... lots and lots of pins
*ribbon and trim
*Fray Check

Here we go! Weeeeeeeeeeee!!!

STEP 1: Measure to determine how big you want your ornament. I like to leave a very small margin, just 1/4" all the way around the stitching, but it's your choice. Write down the measurements so you don't forget, like me. Trim the excess fabric--if necessary--to make it easier to work with, but be careful not to trim too much. Leaving a little more than you need is better than trimming too closely.

STEP 2: Use your measurements to cut your mat board (I use kitchen shears for this) in the size and shape you need. This will be the back of the ornament. Then use your mat board piece as a template to cut your batting, your backing fabric (leave a 1/2" border around it!), and your foam core. TIP for cutting foam core: Your foam core will probably be 1/4" thick and trying to cut it in one go can be difficult and possibly hazardous! Make two cuts. On your first cut, just go around your pencil line with your knife using only enough pressure to cut about halfway through the foam core. Applying less pressure makes it easier to control the knife (and safer!) and get a more accurate cut. On your second cut, cut the rest of the way through the foam core. Use an old magazine or catalog underneath to protect your surface. When you're done with this step, you'll have your mat board, batting, fabric, and foam core ready to go.

STEP 3: Use a little piece of double-sided tape to stick the batting to the foam core. Position the mat board on the backing fabric, and clip the corners as shown below (not too close to the mat board!). It will give you nicer corners. Glue the little corner tabs in first, then glue the side pieces of fabric to the mat board, fiddling with it to make the corners nice and sharp. TIP: Your best tools are your fingers. I use my fingers and thumbs to smooth the fabric into place over the glue. Of course, I get glue all over myself, but it easily rubs off. 

STEP 4: Position and pin the design to the side of the foam core with the batting. Take the pins out and re-position and re-pin. Repeat. Okay, I just decided to go ahead and write that out because it's probably what you'll be doing. It's what I do. If there's a step that's even moderately difficult, this would be it. It's not really difficult, it just takes some fiddling to get the design pinned on straight, even, etc. Mostly I just eyeball it, but occasionally I do check it with the ruler. TIP: As you're pinning/positioning, leave the pins sticking out. It will make it much easier to take them out and re-pin. When you're happy with the position, push the pins in. Glue the excess fabric to the back of the foam core, using the technique used to clip and glue the backing fabric to the mat board. You may need a couple of extra pins in the corners to make them nice and sharp.

STEP 5: Measure and mark the center of the mat board, and attach the ribbon for the hanger to the center, so the ornament will hang level.

STEP 6: Glue the mat board back to the foam core front.

STEP 7: Put your ornament under a heavy book and weight it down with a concrete pig named Petunia. Allow it to sit for about an hour or so. If you're worried about glue squishing out, place the ornament between layers of wax paper before mashing it.

STEP 8: Attach whatever trim you're using. You'll notice that some trims, especially the woven ones, will unravel dreadfully when they're cut. Just dab a little Fray Check on the ends and allow it to dry. If you don't have any, craft glue will work as it should dry clear, if a little dark. From what I've observed, most people use twisted cording, but I prefer the variety of purchased trim. TIP: When hunting for trim, besides the fabric department, don't forget to check the home decorating/upholstery department. They usually stock all kinds of interesting trim and matching tassels. Depending on the trim, sometimes I glue it on, sometimes I pin it. When I pin it, sometimes I use dressmakers pins that I can hide in the trim, and sometimes I use pearl head pins because I want them to show. It all depends on the look you're going for. TIP: If you like the look (and ease!) of trim pinned on with pearl head pins, keep an eye out for them at different craft stores. They come in a wide array of colors, and different craft stores stock different brands with slightly different colors. It's possible to assemble a collection of pins that fits any color need, like this. Here's the finished ornament:

Made perfect by the magic of the Christmas tree:

Just a couple of other things. Once you get the hang of finishing, you'll want to branch out to shaped ornaments... circles, ovals, hearts, triangles, etc. Plastic templates used for scrapbooking are perfect for ornament templates, as are cookie cutters. Keep your eyes open for interesting trims, colored pins, beads, charms, ribbon... anything that can be used to embellish your ornaments. You can almost always find this stuff on sale, or use a coupon. Check the remnant bins for backing fabric, or buy fat quarters used for quilting when they're on sale. There's really no limit to what you can do with your finishing. You can make your ornaments as plain or as fancy as you like (I resist the urge to put bows on Mr.Wonderful's ornaments). It doesn't have to be expensive, and as I hope I've just demonstrated, it doesn't have to be difficult. 

Happy finishing!

First Day of Winter!

Doesn't feel much like winter here right now... sunny and 40. But I think the Old Man is just trying to lull us into a false sense of security. I'm not fooled, and if you've been visiting for a while, you know that I use winter weather as an excuse a reason to stock up on everything--including stash! You don't want to be caught without those beads or that certain color of silk during a blizzard. That would be awful. So...

These are the materials for Just Nan's Snowfire Christmas, which I'm converting into a wedding sampler for us. I've made a few changes. I'll be stitching it on PTP Valor, and using silver beads instead of gold, and I've replaced a pinkish color with the DMC 777 you see in the picture. That gorgeous silk is Caron Waterlilies in Cherry. This will be a New Year's Day start.

I also picked up some cotton and a few buttons for a little winter freebie I want to stitch up pretty soon. The fiber is Caron Wildflowers--my favorite fiber EVER--in Evergreen. Isn't that tiny sheep so adorable?

A few other supplies for another winter project.

And here on the first day of winter, a little peek of spring. Sparkly lavender spotted fabric. Since I already had some sparkly pink spotted fabric, I had to have some of this, too. For those of you who are hyperventilating right now, it's from Fabric Flair!

Okay, winter. I'm ready.

Finishing a Perforated Paper Ornament

Back in the summer, I posted a little tutorial about how I finish my perforated paper pieces. In it, I mentioned that my mom uses old Christmas cards to finish her paper ornaments. That's how I did the finishing on my 2013 Santa ornament that I posted yesterday, and I wanted to do a quick post to show how cute your results can be.

Pretty cute, huh? (The ribbon hanger is attached to the head instead of the hat, since the hat is glued to the head... less likely the hat will come off if the ornament is not hanging from it.)

And here's a re-post of the finished ornament, from the 2013 issue of Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments.

Happy finishing!

Christmas Open House, Day 7: The Finale!

Wow. That week went by fast. It's the last day of my Christmas Open House, but not the last of my December posts. I've still got our 2014 ornaments to show off next week, and I've been doing some finishing and will be putting together a post about how I finish my ornaments. So don't forget to drop in and see what else I've been up to. 

I've really enjoyed sharing our ornaments, our traditions, our favorite recipes, and some favorite freebies with y'all. I hope y'all have enjoyed it, too. Thank you to all who have left such sweet comments here, and to all who have visited, whether you've commented or not. It's been fun... maybe we'll do it again next year!

Here's Mr. Wonderful's 2012 ornament. I think the sheep sold him:

Can't remember why I didn't finish my 2012 ornament, but it's one of only two that are missing, and is--of course--on my (lengthy) to-do list.

And finally--for this week, at least--the 2013 ornaments. His:

And mine... I love this little guy:

Today I'll be sharing the last couple of recipes for our Christmas brunch menu. The first is our favorite fruit salad ever. Very simple ingredients, very simple to prepare, but lovely! It makes a bunch, so it would be great to take to a gathering. And it looks pretty.

Fruit Salad with Honey-Lime Syrup

1 small cantaloupe, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pint-1 quart of fresh strawberries, quartered
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 c. red seedless grapes
(you can fiddle with these amounts, based on your preference)

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. grated lime zest
1 Tbsp. lime juice

Combine sugar, water, honey, lime zest and juice in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for one minute. Remove from heat and cool completely; cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. To serve, drizzle syrup over individual servings of fruit salad (a little goes a long way!).

***

Okay, now these... these are just divine. I make these every year on Christmas Eve day, and since the recipe makes too many for us to (in good conscience) eat by ourselves, I deliver little plates of the extras to the neighbors. These are like little bites of sunshine... perfect for a cold winter day!

Lemon-Orange Rolls

16 oz. hot roll mix
1/4 c. butter, softened and divided
2/3 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
2 c. confectioner's sugar
1/4 c. orange juice

Make the hot roll dough as directed on the box. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. For each portion: Roll the dough into a 12" x 8" rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread with 2 Tbsp. of softened butter. Stir sugar and fruit zests together and sprinkle half the mixture over the buttered dough. Starting with the long edge, roll up the dough like a jelly-roll and cut into 1" thick slices. Place in greased muffin tins, cover and let rise about 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Remove to racks to cool. For glaze, stir together confectioner's sugar and orange juice and drizzle over cooled rolls. Yield: about 2 dozen.

***

This last freebie is another one I haven't gotten stitched yet, but I love. It was taken down and unavailable for a while, but was re-posted some time back. I've seen it stitched in several different ways and finished as an ornament and it turns out so pretty. Here's Christmas Eve Flight. 

***

Lastly, I'll leave y'all with a couple of pretties. These are the roses delivered Wednesday on our 14th anniversary. One of the many, many reasons Mr. Wonderful is Mr. Wonderful.

And of course, Miss Tiger Lily. You didn't think I'd have a week-long Open House without a Tiger Lily sighting, did you? Unpossible.

"Wake me up when Santa gets here."

Thanks so much for coming to my Open House! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas Open House, Day 6

Hi, y'all! Christmas is a week from today... where has this year gone?! When I got the Christmas decorations put up, Mr. Wonderful said, "It feels like we just did this." I said, "We did." It's been a challenging year at our house, with some family members dealing with some serious health issues, and I've even had one of my own (though not serious, thankfully). I'm sure a lot of you can relate to that. As stressful as it has been, I was determined to enjoy Christmas. That's part of the motivation for me opening my Christmas home to y'all. To spread a little joy, a little stitching inspiration, a little good food. As stitchers, we know how much pleasure can be had from very simple things... a pretty freebie, a few new skeins of DMC in our favorite colors, a fresh cookie, a snowy day, a finish... It's the little things that get us through the big things. Whatever your year has been like, whatever is going on right now, I hope that by spending a few minutes here, you've been able to enjoy the Christmas season, even if just a little bit. And now... ornies!

2010, his. For some reason, the background on this one has always reminded me of a creamy, swirly coffee drink. Yes, I often think with my stomach:

Mine. If you've followed this blog for a while, you know about my Button Up Birdies obsession. This is the one that started it all. I think I have two left to stitch:

2011, his. I was surprised when he picked this one. Usually I know when I flip through the magazine which ornament he will pick, but not this year:

Mine. We endured a deployment in 2011, and this ornament is always bittersweet to me. I chose it because of the colors--red, silver, blue--and because the swirls reminded me of waves, of the thousands of miles of ocean that separated us. Even still, it's one of my favorites:

*sniff* We're gettin' a little mushy around here, aren't we? How about some food? Yesterday I posted our Christmas brunch menu, and today it's time for taters. This is the only part of the menu that has to be done the day of, but it's easy so it's no problem. I could eat these like candy.

Spicy Country Potatoes

5 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized pieces (leave the skin on!)
1 medium onion, chopped (I wear Mr. Wonderful's combat goggles for this)
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 c. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Toss potatoes and onions in oil; add seasonings and toss to coat. Bake about 35 minutes, stirring a little every 10 minutes or so.

***

Today's freebie is a nod to my obsession with all things candy cane. If Halloween/autumn is Pumpkin Spice Everything Season, and Thanksgiving is Cranberry Everything Season, then Christmas is Candy Cane Everything Season. Candy Cane cocoa (I'm hoarding it), candy cane Chapstick (Mr. Wonderful's favorite), candy cane coffee, candy cane tea, and on and on and on. It's the most wonderful time of the year. It's Candy Cane Everything Season.

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Christmas Open House, Day 5

Today is our 14th wedding anniversary. We got married at this time of year because it was at the beginning of Christmas break for Mr. Wonderful's school, and he would have a couple of weeks off. But we both love Christmas so much, we probably would've had a Christmas wedding even if school hadn't been a factor. What better way to celebrate our anniversary and Christmas every year than by adding handmade ornaments to our tree!

2008 ornaments, his:

Mine (we were stationed in California at the time... lots of sea otters!):

2009, his:

And mine:

Today's recipe brings us to Christmas brunch. At our house, we open gifts on Christmas Eve, because we're grown-ups and can do whatever we want and because I can't wait 'til Christmas morning. There. It's out there. I can't wait. It's me, not him. Anyway, since all the excitement is on Christmas Eve, our Christmas Day is pretty low-key, and that includes a low-key meal. So we have brunch. All the preparation can be done the day before, which has the added benefit of distracting me from the goodies waiting for me under the tree. If I sound like a six-year-old, it's because when it comes to Christmas, I am. Here's our menu, which I'll be sharing over the next few days:

Southwestern Breakfast Casserole

Spicy Country Potatoes

Fruit Salad with Honey-Lime Syrup

Lemon-Orange Rolls

I came up with this menu, and if I do say so myself, it's scrumptious. It's a lovely balance of spicy, sweet, rich, light, savory, and citrus-y. It's my favorite special occasion meal, and I'm happy to share it with y'all.

Southwestern Breakfast Casserole

6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2" strips

2 (4 oz.) cans chopped green chilies

1 lb. sausage, cooked and drained

1/4 c. minced onion or fresh to taste

1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 c. milk

6 eggs

1/2 tsp. EACH: salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper

a couple of Roma or Campari tomatoes, sliced

paprika

In a greased 8" square baking dish, layer the following: 1/2 the tortilla strips, 1/2 the chilies, 1/2 the sausage, 1/2 the onions, and 1/2 the cheese. Repeat layers. In a bowl, beat with a fork: milk, eggs, and spices until well-mixed; pour over casserole. Top with sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with paprika. If not baking immediately, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until set in the center and eggs are lightly browned. Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

***

Now that we've got the casserole ready, let's stitch! Two very pretty freebies in only one click. They're simple, but I've seen these stitched up in hand-dyed threads and they're beautiful. Be creative and use your favorites!

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Christmas Open House, Day 4

We're halfway through my Christmas Open House Week, and I hope y'all are enjoying it as much as I'm enjoying sharing a little bit of what Christmas is like at our house. Let's go look at the tree!

2006, his:

Mine:

2007, his:

Mine (another favorite!):

Now let's go to the kitchen! Today, I've got... CAKE. Yes. And not just any cake. This is my favorite chocolate cake in the whole world. Maybe even the universe. Yep, probably the universe, too. My mom has been making this cake for me for as long as I can remember. And it's not what you might expect. It's not super sweet, or gooey, or slathered in rich frosting. It's just a wonderful, moist, chocolate cake... with an unexpected ingredient. Which I will now reveal. By the way, I have no idea why it's called what it's called. There is no whiskey in it... happily.

Scotch Chocolate Cake

Sift together: 
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda

Bring to a boil:
1 stick butter (1/2 c.)
1/2 c. Crisco
4 Tbsp. cocoa (1/4 c.)
1 c. water

Pour boiling mixture over dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon. Allow to cool a bit (you don't want to cook the eggs!) before adding:
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well. Pour into a greased pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. If you're using a 9x13, it'll bake a little faster. If you're using a bundt pan, cool the cake 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a serving plate.

This cake really doesn't need any icing or glaze, but if you want to pretty it up a bit you could lightly dust it with confectioner's sugar. 

***

Today's freebie would be a super quick stitch and would make a great little ornament or last minute gift. Every time I see it I wonder why I haven't stitched it yet! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Christmas Open House, Day 3

We're havin' fun now, aren't we?! Everybody in the Christmas spirit? All full of cookies and covered in orts? Good!

We're up to the 2004 ornaments. Here's Mr. Wonderful's:

And here's mine, another one chosen with Shadow in mind. This one looks a lot more like him, and he used to sit and look out the window, just like this:

2005, his:

Mine. This is one of my favorites... I gave myself a big ol' "Atta girl!" when I accomplished the finishing on this one:

Now for today's recipe. We always have something Mexican or Mexican-inspired on Christmas Eve. When we were back home in Texas, it was always tamales. Where we're from, people place orders for their Christmas tamales way in advance or stand in line at their favorite little hole-in-the-wall, family-run Mexican restaurants. It's not uncommon around Christmas to be asked, "Got your tamales?" Unhappily, where we live now, tamales are pretty hard to come by. Since so far I've been too lazy busy to make them myself, I usually make some sort of Mexican casserole for Christmas Eve. But since Mexican + Christmas Eve probably seems weird for y'all, I decided to share a different Christmas recipe that is a tradition in our family. It's Percolator Punch and I was raised on it. I even served it at the reception for our Christmas wedding. And it'll be perfect with all those cookies we've just made.

Percolator Punch

2 c. cranberry juice
4 c. water
2 Tbsp. Red Hots (those little cinnamon candies)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 c. orange juice
1/2 c. sugar
1 Bigelow Constant Comment teabag

Put everything in a percolator or a slow cooker and serve it when it's nice and hot.

***

 Ah! All snuggled down with hot punch and cookies... and a new freebie, since I know y'all have already finished the first two I posted. Here's Merry Christmas Deer. This design could be customized in so many ways with different colors and embellishments. Have fun stitching it... don't spill your punch!

Merry Christmas, y'all!